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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 21h

🐦💚 It's World Mental Health Day! Did you know that watching and listening to birds may support your mental wellbeing? We've rounded up 3 scientific studies exploring how birds can help us feel better. 🧵👇

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It's National Badger Day!🦡 Badgers are reported in around 1 in 25 GBW gardens, with sightings peaking in Sep–Oct. Autumn gardens offer plenty to eat as badgers fatten up for winter. Celebrate by helping us monitor their populations 👉 www.bto.org/GBW/Join 📸 D. Tipling / BTO

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🎉Congratulations to everyone involved in this new PoMS paper! PoMS provides the evidence needed to understand how pollinators in the UK are doing and focus conservation work where it's most needed.🐝🦋

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🐦Sparrowhawks tend to hunt for small birds, many of which are now associated with gardens. Often, the only sign of their visit is a scattering of feathers.🪶🪶 Share your Sparrowhawk visits with us to help us monitor their populations around the country. www.bto.org/GBW/Join 📸 Liz Cutting /BTO

A Sparrowhawk stands on top of a dead small bird. The Sparrowhawk has grey-brown upper plumage, buffy and barred underparts, yellow eyes and bill. The small bird's feathers are scattered on the green grass of a garden.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

🍂 As summer gives way to autumn, garden wildlife is changing. Look out for Hummingbird Hawkmoths and birds such as Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. What are you seeing in your garden? Tell us, and join Garden BirdWatch! 📸 Jill Pakenham and Graham Catley

A large moth with orange underwings and a greyish-brown body hovers facing right. The long black tongue probes the purple flowers that fill the rest of the photo. It's a Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

A small grey-ish bird sits on a thin branch in the middle of the photo going from top left to bottom right. The bird has slight green to the wings, and a yellow flash lined with black up from the forehead to the top of its head. To the left, there is a cluster of red berries, some dripping with rain. A single red berry is to the right. The bird is a Goldcrest.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

🐝 Spotted a bumblebee nest in Norfolk? Help Garden BirdWatch, the University of East Anglia & the Bumblebee Conservation Trust learn more about where bumblebees nest. Report your sighting: 📧 bumblebee.nest@uea.ac.uk or send us a message! #Bumblebees #CitizenScience

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

🐝Garden Bumblebees are active April–September. Look for yellow bands on the thorax, one yellow band on the abdomen, and a white tail. Their long face and tongue help them feed from foxgloves, honeysuckle, vetches, and red clover.🌸 Seen one? Add them to your list! 📸 Debbie Frazer (GBW Ambassador)

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

BTO's Garden BirdWatch has a central role in understanding how changes in garden bird feeding are affecting bird populations across the UK. By recording what you see (and what you're feeding) each week, you become part of the evidence. Take part 👉 bit.ly/GBWLogin

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Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

VOTE NOW for Britain's Favourite Butterfly! 🦋 Flashy, adventurous or fantastically freaky. The UK is home to 60 species of butterfly, each with their own unique story. But who will be crowned the nation's favourite? 👑 Vote for your favourite 👉 britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk?utm_source=S...

Centre text reads 'Britain's Favourite Butterfly' with a green button underneath that reads 'VOTING OPEN' with a green heart emoji. The text and button is surrounded by cut-out illustrations of individual butterfly species.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Want to get to know the bumblebees in your garden? 🐝 Join our introductory online course next week! 📆 Tuesday 19 May, 7pm-9pm. Book here ➡️ bit.ly/_19May 📆 Wednesday 20 May, 10am-12pm. Book here ➡️ bit.ly/_20May 📷 Rob Jaques

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

It's National Mammal Week!🐾 Red Foxes are on the rise in urban gardens! These adaptable mammals are now found in around 1 in 4 UK gardens. Did you know GBW also monitors mammals? Start your list today and help us find out how they are using your gardens. 📸Peter Allen, Garden BirdWatcher

Urban dog (l) and vixen (r) Fox, by Garden BirdWatcher Peter Allan

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Know an inspiring ornithologist or birder? 🐦 Nominate them for a BTO or Marsh Award via www.bto.org/medals-awards Whether a local group, individual, young person or dedicated BTO volunteer, these awards celebrate the incredible contributions that have been made to #ornithology. 🪶 📷Anthony Sajdler

A group photo of 2025 award winners and staff as they smile at the camera, with the Society of Wildlife Artists Natural Eye exhibition artwork on the wall in the background.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Spring is an active time for garden birds. 🐦 By recording what species visit your garden each week, you can contribute to research on how populations are changing in the UK. 🪶 Just a few minutes, with little birding experienced needed. Take part in BTO Garden BirdWatch ➡️ www.bto.org/gbw

A Blue Tit hangs from a tree branch appearing in the top of the image. Wording below reads: Garden BirdWatch. This spring, make your garden count.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

1/ For #WorldAutismAwarenessDay we asked some of the members of the BTO team who are on the Autism spectrum to share their experiences of working for the organisation. At BTO we’re committed to becoming more inclusive, find out more about this work at www.bto.org/inclusivity

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Layla Alexandra @part-time-nerd.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Photo uploads part 2 You can interact with us on bluesky @ @btobirds.bsky.social - main BTO feed @bto-gbw.bsky.social - Garden BirdWatch @webs-gsmp.bsky.social - Wetland Bird Survey @bbs-birds.bsky.social - Breeding Bird Survey #BTO #birds #nature #conservation #survey #wildlife #WeBS #GBW

grey wagtail sat on a rock looking out towards the water. tail to the camera and head facing away

Rook in a tree by it's nest in our local rookery

grey wagtail on a rock in the stream, body facing forwards, head tilted to the viewers right.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

A sure sign of spring 🌱 The Great Spotted Woodpecker may visit your garden, especially if it is near mature trees. Listen for its drumming and look for black & white plumage with a red undertail 🪶 Seen one? Record it with Garden BirdWatch and help track its spread 📊 #UKbirding

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Massive thanks to everyone who supported GBW’s project with @mammalweb.bsky.social In one month, 187 people classified 26k+ sequences 🎉 Congrats to Selena (camera trap winner!) and shoutout to Maria & Malcolm 👏 Findings on #bird - mammal interactions and coming soon!

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

The Welsh name for House Sparrow is Aderyn y Tô (‘Bird of the Roof’), and they have many local folknames, including Spadger (in London and the south of England) and Spuggy (in northern England). What other names have you heard being used for these chatty little brown #birds? 📸 John Harding /BTO

House Sparrow perched on red a roof tile

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Delighted to announce a new collaboration! 🐦“Lifted by Birds”, informed by BTO Garden BirdWatch, debuts at RHS Malvern Spring Festival (7–10 May). It turns bird-monitoring evidence into design, based on how #birds really use gardens.🌱

rhsmalvern.co.uk

Lifted by Birds - RHS Malvern

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

National Nestbox Week 🐦 Different species have different nesting preferences. Providing a variety of cover gives #birds the best chance of success. Keep reading to find out how some garden birds nest 👇 And remember: if you find a nest in your garden, report it to Nesting Neighbours 🪺

bto.org

Nesting Neighbours | BTO

Join the Nesting Neighbours projectNesting Neighbours participants follow the progress of individual bird nests through the spring and summer. They send their records to our database, contributing vit...

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

It's National Nest Box Week🐦 Now's the time to put up a nest box - which type to choose might depend on your garden visitors Small-hole boxes suit Blue & Great Tits Open-fronted boxes can attract Robins & Blackbirds (especially near ivy) Tips on building, buying & placing👇 www.bto.org/nest-boxes

A juvenile Blue Tit peeks out from a brown wooden nest box, still showing its yellow juvenile plumage. Photo credits by Tom Streeter / BTO

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

🐦The Song Thrush is a prolific garden singer🎶 Once called the “thrice cock” for repeating phrases (often three times), it may even mimic everyday sounds. Heard one this year? If it sang in your garden, submit a record to Garden BirdWatch to help track them. #UKBiriding

A Song Thrush stands on short green grass holding an invertebrate in its beak. The bird has warm brown upperparts and a pale underside marked with dark, arrowhead-shaped spots, with labels highlighting a “yellowish-buff wash on the breast” and “spots shaped like arrowheads.” An information panel notes: 4 eggs, feeds on worms and invertebrates, present all year, maximum lifespan 11 years, recorded in 19% of gardens, and about 1 million UK territories. The title reads “Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos),” with Garden BirdWatch and BTO logos.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

GBW and MammalWeb are working together to study bird–mammal interactions in County Durham gardens using camera traps, and you can still get involved. Register via the link below and every image you classify counts as an entry into the prize draw to WIN A CAMERA TRAP! Closes at the end of February!

mammalweb.org

MammalWeb

Upload and classify images and video from camera traps

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Goldcrests are Europe’s smallest #bird, weighing about the same as a £1 coin. In UK gardens, they often appear in winter, especially around conifers, hunting tiny insects. Despite their size, some migrate across the North Sea. Tiny but tough. #ukbirding

A tiny goldcrest perches among glossy green ivy leaves and pale yellow flower clusters, leaning downward as it searches for insects. The bird shows olive-green upperparts, buff underparts, a pale face, and a bright yellow crown stripe edged with black. An information panel states the species lays 7–12 eggs, lives on average about two years, feeds on invertebrates, occurs year-round, appears in roughly 6% of UK gardens, and has about 790,000 UK territories.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Did you know that by submitting your garden wildlife sightings regularly to BTO Garden BirdWatch, you are directly contributing towards research which looks into the year-round importance of gardens for wildlife. 🪶 Discover more at www.bto.org/get-involved... 📷Philip Croft / BTO

A Robin perches on a leafless twig with its bill wide open as it sings. Its red breast and brown upperparts are clearly visible.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

We're looking for some help to classify the final images for our project with Mammal Web. You'll be asked to identify species in gardens during our NE pilot study to help monitor garden wildlife using camera traps. Plus there's a chance of winning a camera trap. Each image counts as one entry!

mammalweb.org

MammalWeb

Upload and classify images and video from camera traps

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

One of our most brightly coloured garden visitors, the Bullfinch is a widespread species found across Britain and Ireland. They are largely associated with lowland wooded habitats, where they can be found in highest densities. 🪶 🌳

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Why do juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers lose their red cap? This was a question asked by Garden BirdWatcher Margaret recently. Read our thread ⬇️ 📷 Liz Cutting / BTO

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker is in the centre of the picture on the trunk of a tree with two juvenile birds either side, one looks on while the adult feeds the other juvenile.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

This diminutive bird may be a familiar sight to anyone with a mature tree in or near their garden. 🌳 🪶 Treecreepers are so called because of their amazing ability to ‘creep’ up the trunk of trees in search of small insects.

A Treecreeper climbs up a tree. Lines point to key identification features of this bird including a downcurved needle-like bill, streaky brown upperparts, white underparts, large feet for climbing, and a rigid tail. A table shows key facts about the species including that is lays 5-6 eggs, it feeds on insects and spiders, its typical lifespan is 2 years, it can be seen all year round most often in deciduous and mixed woodland and that there are 225,000 territories in the UK.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Woodcock sometimes drop into gardens when there is snow or freezing conditions. They use their long beaks to probe in soft ground for invertebrates, and are more commonly associated with damp woodlands, heathland and farmland. 📷 Thanks to Tim Marshall for sharing this photo!

A Woodcock is standing in shallow water either side of snowy ice in a garden. Image by Tim Marshall.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

1/2 Garden BirdWatchers asked why Siskins visited their feeders in higher numbers some winters compared to others. Discover the answer ⬇️🧵 #Ornithology 📷 Graham Catley/BTO 🪶

A Siskin, a small yellow-green bird with black streaks, clasps the twig of a tree with its feet and the twig hangs down with the weight of the bird.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

At this time of year we can't avoid the Robin who has become a symbol of Christmas. This started during the Victorian times when postmen wore red uniforms & were nicknamed "Robins". During December & January Robins are recorded in around 90% of Garden BirdWatchers' UK gardens! 📷John Proudlock/BTO

A Robin perches on the handle of a spade which is covered in frost as snow appears in the background.

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BTO Cymru @btocymru.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Are you a raptor enthusiast? Discover more about birds of prey in Wales at our Raptor Convention in January. Book a space ➡️ www.bto.org/RaptorConvention2026 Hear more about our Cudyll Cymru survey, hear from expert guest speakers and meet other nature enthusiasts over lunch. #BirdingWales

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Daphne sent us this photo of a partially leucistic Dunnock she found in her garden. 🪶 If you see a bird with abnormal plumage, please report it to us at www.bto.org/our-science/... 📷 Daphne Wills

A Dunnock with leucistic plumage, showing white on its wing and head amongst its brown plumage, perches on a concrete surface in a garden.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Garden BirdWatcher Jennifer sent us this photo of a Sparrowhawk in her garden during a snow shower. What birds have you seen visit your garden when its snowy? #Birds #GardenBirds 📷 Jennifer Luck

A Sparrowhawk on snowy covered grass in a garden grasping its prey in its talons.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

1/ 30 years of Garden Birdwatch! 🎉😀 Your data provides valuable information on the distribution of garden wildlife across the UK. 🦋 🐦🐝A huge thank you from us! Not a Garden BirdWatcher? Sign up via www.bto.org/gbw and help us understand how and why wildlife use our gardens. #Birds

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Thanks to Garden BirdWatchers we know that historically, Redwings are most likely to be reported in gardens during December. These winter migrants visit the UK to escape the colder conditions further north and feast on the remaining autumn berries. Report your garden sightings at www.bto.org/gbw 🪶

A Redwing perches in a bush covered in red berries and it holds one in its bill. Image credit bottom right reads Redwing by Edmund Fellowes/BTO.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

@bto-gbw.bsky.social is celebrating its 30th anniversary! 🎉 We delved into the archives & found these images of the original GBW logo artwork by Robert Gillmor from 2005. 🎨 A Wren was chosen as the symbol of GBW – an instantly recognisable bird found in gardens across the UK. #ExploreYourArchive

A pencil drawing showing an outline of a Wren perched on a branch alongside the wording: BTO / CJ Garden BirdWatch.

A black and white drawing of a Wren perched on a branch.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Garden BirdWatcher Brian Ormerod sent us this photo of a very special garden visitor. The Firecrest is one of our smallest birds, weighing just 5g (the same as a 20p coin!). What interesting #birds have you had in your garden this year? Share your stories and photos with us below. 📷Brian Ormerod

A small bird, a Firecrest, on steps where water is gently flowing over them.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

GBW data has been used in many scientific papers over the past 30 years. Blackcaps now frequently overwinter in the UK. A paper published in 2015, using GBW data, connected the provision of winter food to both behavioural & phenotypical changes. Read more at bit.ly/WileyGBW 📷 Philip Croft / BTO

A male Blackcap perches on a branch with dappled sunlight in the background.

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

🐦✨ Fieldfares are popping up in gardens again! Right on cue for the season. 🍂 If you hear that “chak-chak” call or spot those grey heads and speckled chests, add them to your weekly list! 📝 #UKBirding

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

❄️As temperatures drop, Pied Wagtails flock to urban areas: car park trees and shop roofs turned cosy roosts, warmed by the urban heat island effect. Smart little winter survivors, they are more likely to be spotted in gardens during the colder months. 🐦✨ #UKBirding

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

🐦 With their red faces and tinkling calls, Goldfinches bring a splash of colour to our gardens. Once scarce, they’re now seen in around 60% of Garden BirdWatch gardens. Their increase is likely linked to changes in supplementary feeding as well other ecological factors. #Birds #UKBirding

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Angharad @angnatur.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Hei Cymru, BTO’s Garden BirdWatch (not RSPB’s GBBW) needs you! More so if you live in one of the thin slivers below, give it a go-just note the birds that visit your garden throughout the year💚 Shot taken from @welshlassy.bsky.social talk in @birdsinwales.bsky.social conference @bto-gbw.bsky.social

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

🐝 Often misunderstood, the European Hornet is the UK’s largest wasp and a regular garden visitor, especially where trees grow. Widespread in the south and spreading north, they’re calmer than smaller wasps - far calmer than other wasps! Have you spotted any in your GBW list? 📷 Mike Toms / BTO

A Hornet resting on a wooden surface in a garden

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

🍂 Autumn skies mean Starling murmurations! These stunning displays form as #birds roost together for warmth, information sharing & safety. Have you noticed any murmurations near your garden? 📸 @welshlassy.bsky.social

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Little Brown Jobs (LBJs) can present a challenge for many Garden BirdWatchers when it comes to ID. Sparrows, Dunnocks and winter-plumage Reed Buntings can all seem similar at first glance. Watch our helpful Bird ID video for advice on how to tell them all apart. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKjt...

youtube.com

BTO Bird ID - Common sparrows & Reed Bunting

YouTube video by BTOvideo

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Mya Bambrick @myabambrick.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Announcing an exciting new event 🤩 🌿 Be the Future of Nature’s Recovery in Dorset & Beyond 📍 Bournemouth Uni 🗓️ Sat 22 Nov 1–6pm A free @btobirds.bsky.social x @bournemouthuni.bsky.social conference with Megan McCubbin, Paul Morton, Katiana Saleiko & more! 🙌🏻 More info👉🏻 www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

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BTO Garden BirdWatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

🐿️Red Squirrel Awareness Week! Reds survive mainly in the Scottish Highlands & a few islands, while Greys are common elsewhere in the UK. If you’re lucky enough to see a Red in your garden, let us know through Garden BirdWatch! 👉 bto.org/gbw 📸 Chris Spray / BTO

A Red Squirrel perches on a garden feature, as it prepares to jump. It is surrounded by garden plants, and the wooden garden fence is visible in the background.

A Red Squirrel eating some kind of vegetable matter, standing on a grassy lawn.

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